Louisiana Shrimp Creole

By bakers_delight85

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices double-smoked bacon, cut into tiny bits
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chipped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil, crumbled
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• 1 pound fresh medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Boiled rice

Preparation

Step 1

In a large, heavy pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp and drain on paper towels. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic to the pot and stir about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper, Worcestershire and Tabasco and stir well. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook till the mixture thickens, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and bacon and stir. Return to a simmer and cook, uncovered, just till the shrimp turn pink and curl, about 8 minutes.
To serve, place mounds of rice on serving plates, make wide wells in the mounds, and spoon the shrimp into the wells. Serve piping hot.